Beavers gaining more believers

EL PASO, Texas -- Some Oregon State fans wanted a new coach five games into this season. Missouri had a perfect coach, or at least a perfect record, after six games.

Mike Riley and Gary Pinkel ended up in the same place, providing a compelling story line for the Sun Bowl today.

Riley and No. 24 Oregon State (9-4) executed a remarkable in-season turnaround, winning seven of their final eight games. The Beavers pulled off one of the year's biggest upsets, beating then-No. 3 Southern California 33-31 on Oct. 28. They finished the regular season with wins over rival Oregon and at Hawaii.

"They could have folded their tent," Riley said. "There was not one person hardly in the world outside of our wives, outside of our football building, that believed that this team could do what they've done. We just stayed the course."

Missouri started 6-0 for the first time since 1973, and was 7-1 for the first time since 1969. Pinkel has taken the Tigers to bowls three of the past four years, and expectations began to rise for an elite postseason bid.

A late three-game losing streak dashed those hopes, but the Tigers routed Kansas in the regular-season finale and earned a bowl upgrade over two consecutive Independence Bowls.

"I think it is a good next step for the program," athletics director Mike Alden said. "Certainly we have a long way to go on the journey, but it is the next step."

A win over Oregon State would be the first over a ranked opponent for Missouri since 2003, although four victories this year have come against bowl teams. It would also give the school nine wins for the first time since 1969, and perhaps provide a springboard for the future. Last year's Independence Bowl victory over South Carolina, in which Brad Smith led a comeback from a 21-point deficit, provided a nice jumping-off point for this season.

Riley is the first Oregon State coach to win two bowl games, the Las Vegas in 2003 and the Insight in 2004. But last year the Beavers were 5-6, and after their shaky start this season, not only fans but some players felt they were on the same road. Early losses of 42-14 at Boise State and 41-13 at home to California were potential confidence shakers.

"We had outside sources that were kind of down talking and coach Riley did a great job of calling some of the players in the office and telling them, 'If you're not with us, then get out,' " safety Sabby Piscitelli said. "He called some people out individually and their attitude changed real quick."

The response was gratifying for Riley. Oregon State finished third in the Pac-10 at 6-3, with a balanced offense, an aggressive defense that led the conference with 44 sacks and a knack for making big plays at the finish. The Beavers won their past two games by a total of five points, and four victories in all were secured at or near the end of the game.

Daniel Drayton's interception at the 2 on the final play preserved a 17-10 victory at Arizona. Jeff Van Orsow deflected a 2-point conversion pass with seven seconds left against USC. Ben Siegert blocked two kicks, including a 44-yard field goal attempt with 20 seconds to go, in a 30-28 victory over Oregon.

"It was the most beautiful thing in sports I've been around," Riley said. "I don't mean to get mushy about this, but it was special."